Vending machine



Nov. 14, 1933. H. SWAN 1,935,134

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Skeet 1 +3 Inventor B '7 M NOV. 14, 1933. H. SWAN 1,935,134

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnncntor h; Gttorneg away, of a preferred on the line 3-3 of Fig-2;; and

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 ew VENDING MACHINE H Harry Swan, New Original application October 2,1929, Serial No.

396,619. Divided and-this application June 14,. 1930. Serial N0. 1,072

1 8 Claims. (Cl. 194-1) r. is a division of my. copending application Serial No. 396,619; filed October 2nd',.l929.

My inventionrelates to vending machines and contemplates the provision of a machineoi this type wherein a coin is used to eject the article sod. Among the advantages v0f myinvention is the provision of a simple and sturdy machine which isnot apt toget out of. orderv or to clogand one which .Will standwithout injury,. rough usage that such a machine is apt'to receive. g

Another object of my. invention isto provideza. vending ,m achine which .will be neither .actuated.

nor: clogged by; coins of improper denomination..

--A,still.,.furtherobjecirof my invention is the provision of a device whereby the same coin cannotibeusedtoieject moreithanp-nearticle.

rEurthenobjects and advantages. 1 ofmy inventionwill be apparenttfrom the fo-llowingispecifie...

:Figl/i-is a cross-sectional view,.taken onthe lineA-g-A: ofFig. 3. a I ..:..;-:.i..

Referring; .to. i thedrawings, reference .charac j ter'. '10 .designate's generally "the casing composed of abase portion 12 and a cover portion 14. Sup-1 ported'o-n base .portion .12 by.= means of suitable brackets 16 is an. article. hopper l8 whichlis openLat the top and hasea bottom partially closed by. flanges 20 formed on a yoke 21. .The articles:

to..be sold are placed inhopper 18, which-is of proper I horizontal dimensions to accommodate the articles and here the latter are con'strair-led;

.coin receiver 24 extends.throughfiooveriportion 14; and isrthus ;.acces'sible..wh en then-cover. is; int

place. i Slidablypositioned on rods 26 below hop. per 18.and coin chute 22 isia coin carrier 28:providedzwithia coincarrying slot 30. Rods 26 pass: through ftheobasesportion"12,.Ithe back of. yoke 21 zandengagev the-front of the yoke by means "of.

screw threads formed on the respective memplunger 29 iseither formed integralwith coin carrier28 or suitably. attached theretov an d projects through the front of yoke 21 and cover portion 14 and provides-means for movingthet' coin carrier against theforce of coil springs .32. which tend tov push coin'oarrier28 forward and hold it in sucha position 'that'gcoin slot 30 is directly.:beneath coin chutes-22'. .sCoin slot 30 extends entirely through coin carrier :28 anda w coin-in. position therein will be supported by. a, horizontal fiat plate. 34 in which is formed av slot .36 and a slot 38; Pivotedon plate 34and' extending within slot 36- is a notched ban-40 which-is held in a substantially horizontal posi -s tion-by means of a spring 42. Beneath slot 38- is formed-a coin bank 43 for the reception of coins.- dropping through slot s38 A projectionAG provided in order to deflect-:the'coins and this prevents them from piling up'in asingle layer. on the: inclined side: of the bank whichfmight. in-x terfere";with:the 'passageeof. coins through slot 38. @The, front of :coin bank 43. is normally closed by averticallyvslidable door 45-. .-.When-cover portion 14 is removed door 45;may beraised by.

means. of a handleg i-so thattthe coins can fall 111130131 receptacle held beneath the vending machine. :2 s

.Secured' wane. front ofcoinehute 22 isza flat spring 48 having a :lower end formed with .two

right angle bends as is clearly shown inlFig.:2-.: 2

Spring 48; isordinarily'heldin the position shown by coin carrier 28 but when the carrier ismoved inwardlyand coin carrying slot 30. therein is not in line withcoin chute 22' spring, 481ies flatagainst: the outside: of .thercoina chute :and its :lower: end projects beneath the coinchute; and thus prevents a coin-from passingout ofthe chute while the coin carrier is not in a position toreceiveit.

Pivotally supported-zonthe side of hopper 18 is 1 an arm 50, the-lower end of which extendsinto the hopper throughia slot in the side thereof; 'A; spring .52 pressing. against. the upper end oi; armv 50lftends co-maintain the lower. end of arm 50. within hopper 18 but the presenceof one or more articles therein will. hold thelower' end of the armbut againstthe force of spring. 52.v 'Posi tioned in the upper part of; coin chute, 22 is a; rectangulardisc 54 upon which. is'formed'the word .E'mpty; ,Disc 54;is provided with anotch 56inoneedge thereof. and a. pin 58 extending per:- pendicular to the base of the disc.-. .A vertical slot 60 is provided in front of coin'slot 22'direct1y in: line with pin 58.. The upperendof arm: 50. is. adapted to engageinotch 56 when'the lowerend of the arm is held out by articles in the hopper.

part of the circular hole.

return motion of coin carrier 23 with the coin' However, when the last article has been sold, spring 52 moves arm 50 out of engagement with notch 56 and disc 54 drops down until pin 53 strikes the bottom of slot 60, in which position the disc prevents the insertion of a coin into coin chute 22 and the word Empty appears in the coin receiver. An arm 62 is pivoted at 61 and is movably held with its lower end extending over slot 60 by means of a spring 63. The lower end of arm 62 is formed with a cut-away portion 65. When disc 54 is returned it drops downwardly in the coin chute and pin 58 strikes arm 62 and moves the arm against the force of spring 63, so that the pin may pass by the arm. The arm then is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring and the pin is held in the cut-away portion 65. wardly until arm 62 is rotated slightly in a counter clockwise direction, which cannot be done until cover portion 14 has been removed.

Attached to base portion 12 and below and to the rear of hopper 18 is an article delivery chute 64 which extends through the front of cover portion 14 and is provided with an upturned end 66 so that an article delivered therethrough will not fall on the floor. Base portion 12 is secured to any suitable support by means of screws, bolts or the like which pass through holes 67 formed in the base. These holes are of a generally circular shape but have a slot 68 extending from the upper The width of slot 68 is less than the diameter of the heads of the screws or bolts used. To place the machine in position on the bolts the heads are first inserted through circular holes 67 and then the base portion is moved downwardly so that the bolts are inslots 68. In order to prevent removal of the machine by unauthorized persons a pair ofsliding bars 70 are provided which are retained in guides 71 and which are forced away from each other by means i of a spring '72 and thus cover circular hole 67 suf- ;stantially as follows:

A number of packages of merchandise are inv position within hopper 18, the lowermost package resting on flanges 20. When acoin is inserted in coin receiver 24 it drops downwardly through coin L chute 22 and into sIot-SO in coin carrier 28.

Plunger 29 is now pressed inwardly and: coin carrier 28 and the coin therein moves to the right as viewed in Fig. 2. The top of the coin projects above coin carrier 28 sufficiently to engage the lowermost package contained in chute 18 and moves the package to the right until it falls into delivery chute 64, while the coin drops through' slot 38 into bank 43. Upon the release of pressure on plunger 29-the plunger is returned by ;means of spring 32 to its initial position.

If the operator attempts tosecure more than one package by means of releasing plunger 29 after the first package has been ejected but-be-- fore the coin has dropped through slot 38, the

in slot 30 thereof Will be prevented by the lower that the coin may pass over them to the right as edge of the coin engaging one of the teeth on member40. The formation of these teeth is such Thus disc 54 cannot be moved upshown in Fig. 2, without interference therefrom, particularly as member 40 is pivoted and could be depressed slightly if necessary.

, If too small a coin is placed in the coin chute it will drop into slot 30 in coin carrier 28 but. will not be of sufiicient diameter to engage the lowermost package in hopper 18 and hence will not eject the same through delivery chute 64. In case the machine is chosen for the use of twenty-five cent pieces it is preferable to make slot 30 of a greater width near its more central portion, as is shown at 78 in Fig. 4. Thus, if a five cent piece which is thicker than a quarter, is placed in the slot it will be retained in the more central portion of slot 30 and will not be able to jam the machine, as it might if it rested loosely in a larger slot. Too large a coin will not pass through coin receiver 24 and hence cannot be put in the machine at all.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it isto be understood that modifications such as are apparent to one skilled in the artfall within its scope, which is to be limited only by the appended claims taken in view of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. In a vending machine, a casing comprising a base portion and a cover portion, an article hopper mounted on said base portion, a coin chute adjacent said article hopper, a spring- 105 pressed resilient arm pivoted beside said article hopper, the lower end of said arm extending through a slot in the side of said hopper and.

held outwardly by. articles in the hopper and a disc releasably held suspended in the upper part of said coin chute by engagement with the upper end of said arm. V

2. In a vending machine, an article hopper, a vertical coin chute, a coin receiver in said coin chute, a pivoted arm having one end springpressed against articles in said article hopper, a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute so as to be movable by gravity, means to limit the downward movement of said disc so that its lowermost position will be oppositesaid coin receiver and means comprising said pivoted arm to retain said disc suspended above said coin receiver while there is an article in said article hopper.

3. In a vending machine, an article hopper, a vertical coin chute, a'coin receiver in said coin chute, a pivoted arm having one end springe pressed against articles in said article hopper, a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute so as to be movable by gravity, means to limit the downward movement of said disc so that its lowermost position will be opposite said coin receiver and a notch in said disc arranged for engagement with the other end of said pivoted arm while there is an article in said article hopper so that said disc will be held suspended above said coin receiver.

4. In a vending machine, a coin chute, a coin carrier formed with a coin slot and arranged to receive a coin from said coin chute, a horizontal plate below said coin carrier on which the lower edge of a coin rests when the coin is positioned within the coin slot, means to move said coin carrier, a pivoted bar having. toothed projections normally extending above said horizontal plate, and a spring for yieldably maintaining said bar in normal position, said bar being so arranged as to be depressedby, and to allow movement of, a coin in one direction overthe projections thereon but. to engage acoin 15c moving in the opposite direction and thus arrest pressed against articles in said article hopper,

a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute so as to be movable by gravity, means to limit the downward movement of said discso that its lowermost position will be opposite said coin receiver, means comprising ,said pivoted arm to retain said disc suspended above said coin receiver while there is an article in said article hopper, and means for locking said disc in its lowermost position.

6. In a vending machine, an article hopper, a vertical coin chute, a coin receiver in said coin chute, a pivoted arm having one end springpressed against articles in said article hopper, a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute 'so as to be movable by gravity, means comprising a projection on said disc to limit the downward movement of said disc so that its lowermost position will be opposite'said coin receiver, means comprising said pivoted arm to retain said disc suspended above said coin receiver while there is an article in said article hopper, and means for engaging said projection when'said disc is in its lowermost position for locking the disc in said lowermost position.

7. In a vending machine, an article hopper, a, vertical coin chute, a coin receiver in said coin chute, a pivoted arm having one end springpressed againstarticles insaid article hopper, a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute so as to be movable by gravity, means comprising a projection on said disc to limit the downward movement of said disc so that its lowermost position will be opposite said coin receiver, means comprising said pivoted arm to retain ,said disc suspended above said coin receiver while there is an article in said article hopper, and a pivoted arm for engaging said projection when said disc is in its lowermost pos'ition for locking the disc in said lowermost position.

8. In a'vending machine, an article hopper, a vertical coin chute, a coin receiver in said coin chute, a pivoted arm having one end springpressed against articles in said article hopper,

a disc slidably positioned in said vertical coin chute so as to be movable by gravity, means comprising a projection on said disc tollimit the downward. movement of said disc so that its lowermost position will be opposite said coin receiver, means comprising said pivoted arm to retain said disc suspended above said coin receiver while there is an article in said article hopper, and a spring-pressed pivoted arm having a notched end for engaging saidprojection when said disc is in its lowermost position for locking the disc in said lowermost position.

' HARRY SWAN. 

